The funeral of H.R.H. Princess Lilian in the Royal Chapel

The light blue Seraphim ribbon with decoration was laid beside the grand star on the cushion. Photo: Anders Wiklund/Scanpix

The funeral of Lilian, Princess of Sweden and Duchess of Halland, was held on Saturday 16 March. The funeral service took place in the Royal Chapel at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.

Mourning bells were rung in central Stockholm between 08:00 and 08:10. The Seraphim Toll was rung at Riddarholm Church between 12:00 and 13:00. An officer and four soldiers from the Life Guards formed a guard of honour at Riddarholm Church. In connection with the arrival of the mourners at the Royal Chapel, the Life Guards and grenadiers stood guard at the South Gate.

A large guard of honour stood at the coffin, with officers from the Life Guards and Karl XII's bodyguards. The guard of honour left the coffin when the funeral ceremony began. The coffin was draped with a three-tailed ensign with the lesser national coat of arms. Princess Eugenie's Crown was placed on the coffin. The crown was made in 1860 in Stockholm by Edvard Emanuel, and was modelled on Princess Hedvig Elisabet Charlotta's crown dating from 1778. Since Princess Lilian was a Member of the Order of the Seraphim, the light blue Seraphim ribbon with decoration was laid beside the grand star on the cushion, which dates from the 18th century. To the left of the altar hung the 1810 Seraphim standard, guarded by three officers. Chaplain of the Royal Court Parish and Bishop Emeritus Lars-Göran Lönnermark, Pastor of the Royal Court Parish Michael Bjerkhagen and Priest Nicholas Howe from the Anglican Episcopal Church in Stockholm officiated at the funeral service.

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When the first spade of soil was placed on the coffin, a 21-gun mourning salute was fired from Skeppsholmen by the Amphibious Regiment, Amf 1.

At the end of the service, ten officers from the Life Guards carried the coffin out to the South Gate. As the funeral cortège left the Royal Palace of Stockholm, the Grenadier Company paraded in the Inner Courtyard and the Music Corps played King Karl XV's Funeral March by Conrad Nordqvist. Along the cortège route, the Main Guard and the Swedish Armed Forces paraded from the Royal Palace of Stockholm to Gustav Adolfs Torg. The cortège passed Riksplan outside Riksdagshuset, where the Life Guards' Dragoon Music Corps played King Karl XV's Funeral March by Conrad Nordqvist. The cortège then passed Gustav Adolfs Torg and continued towards the Royal Cemetery in Haga, where the burial took place.

After the burial, The King and Queen hosted a lunch for specially invited guests at the Royal Palace of Stockholm.